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Obol - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 320-379 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Inscriptional Pahlavi |
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| Mintage | ND (320-379) |
| Additional information |
Shapur II ruled for seventy years — the longest reign in Sasanian history — having been crowned, according to tradition, before birth, when nobles placed the diadem on his mother's womb after his father Hormizd II died without a clear adult heir. The obol denomination sits at the fractional edge of Sasanian silver production, and examples attributable to his early reign are considerably scarcer than the drachms that dominate the series.
His decades included three wars against Rome and sustained campaigns against Arab tribes on the empire's southern frontier, pressures that almost certainly drove demand for smaller silver fractions in military pay contexts.